Tushar Gandhi | SabrangIndia News Related to Human Rights Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:12:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://sabrangindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Favicon_0.png Tushar Gandhi | SabrangIndia 32 32 Fiction as history and history honestly portrayed: a tale of two films and a documentary https://sabrangindia.in/fiction-as-history-and-history-honestly-portrayed-a-tale-of-two-films-and-a-documentary/ Fri, 05 Apr 2024 13:12:48 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=34493 In India today, fiction is being peddled as history. What’s tragic is that most Indians are falling for such propaganda. There has been a spate of motivated films financed and promoted by the Sangh Parivar, starting with the ‘Kashmir Files’ to the latest ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’.

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The Sangh, since Independence, has carried out a campaign of lies and half-truths blended expertly. In recent times, it has run a campaign against those they demonise as ‘left liberal historians’ and has succeeded beyond its own expectations in making several Indians accept its propaganda as the truth. They have convinced even highly ‘educated’ Indians – especially professionals such as engineers and doctors – into accepting their lies.

Their pathological hatred of MK Gandhi, who I and countless others call ‘Bapu’, and their desperation to justify his murder, saw them unleash a vicious campaign – from mixing up the Mopla Rebellion in the Malabar to Bapu’s championing of the Khilafat Movement and calling it the beginning of the appeasement of Muslims. They blame him for Partition and accuse him of forcing the government to ‘gift’ Rs 55 crore to Pakistan – blatant lies cleverly mixed with half-truths and fed to the gullible.

It’s understandable that they are desperate to justify Bapu’s murder. When their involvement in his murder was revealed, they had to portray themselves as saviours of Hindus. Many leaders have built their political careers by maligning Bapu and glorifying his murderer. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is part of the Sangh, which is sympathetic to Bapu’s killer Nathuram Godse. Modi’s pretended devotion to Bapu is to gain credibility abroad, but it’s a sham.

Bapu, after all, is a soft target and the only thing his followers, ‘Gandhians’, have imbibed from him is to passively turn the other cheek.

The cultural offensive

Several books maligning Bapu have been published and widely circulated by the Sangh. The government banned the circulation of Godse’s statement in court and the book published by co-accused and his brother Gopal Godse, 55 Koticha Bali in Marathi and ‘May It Please Your Honour’ in English. A statement read in court by Godse, clearly written by his guru Vinayak Savarkar while they were incarcerated in the Red Fort, was circulated by the Sangh and illegal copies of the book were widely available among Sanghis.

Having emerged from their burrows and grabbed power, they have created a coterie of ‘historians’ who write a convenient version of history with fiction and myth freely mixed in. The Sangh then legitimises such ‘history’ and uses it as propaganda.

Initially, plays were written and performed in Maharashtra, such as ‘Mee Nathuram Godse Boltoy’. Actor Sharad Ponkshe made such a successful career portraying Godse that he now passes himself off as Bapu’s murderer and is venerated by the Hindutva hordes.

A spate of films has been made on Bapu and Godse, most of them so atrocious that they bombed at the box office. Rajkumar Santoshi’s ‘Gandhi Godse Ek Yudh’ is a glaring example.

The Sangh has now reaped the monetary benefits of its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), being in power for two terms. It backs propaganda films, the most recent being Randeep Hooda’s ‘Swatantra Veer Savarkar’. The lies begin in the title itself. An apologist of our freedom movement is being shamelessly placed among the ranks of martyrs like Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad and Shaheed Ashfaqullah Khan. Savarkar gave himself the title ‘Veer’, which makes the title of the film laughable.

Savarkar was no ‘Veer’

Unfortunately, many Indians believe the blatant lie that Savarkar was a ‘Veer’ and forget his centrality to the Gandhi assassination. The court acquitted him because the prosecution did not submit adequate evidence but it did not declare him innocent. The Kapur Commission proved Savarkar’s role beyond doubt and said that an organisation with a nationwide network of fanatics – whose members had deeply infiltrated the government, the bureaucracy and the police – was actively involved in the murder. At that time, there was only one organisation fitting the bill – the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Never mind the fact that the RSS was never prosecuted. Godse and Narayan Apte paid for their crime with their lives, but the kingpins escaped.

What brands Savarkar as a cowardly collaborator are not only his apologies and his multiple mercy petitions to the British but, after he secured his release from kala paani, how loyal he remained to the British, living off the pension provided by the colonial government. Many political prisoners in the Andaman Islands suffered much more brutal torture than Savarkar did, but they endured it and did not become British stooges.

The torture Savarkar was subjected to was also a myth created by him. The British knew how easy it would be to break him and succeeded spectacularly. So much so that after the provincial Congress government of the Bombay Presidency released him from house arrest in Ratnagiri, not once did Savarkar support the freedom movement. All he did was spew communal venom and loyally serve the British.

Savarkar openly advocated the boycott of the Quit India Movement, calling upon his supporters to subvert it. While Bapu and the Congress refused to support the British during World War II, Savarkar called upon his team to actively recruit soldiers – even when he knew that the British would use them to fight Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army. So much for ‘Swatantra Veer’.

Mahesh Manjrekar, who was initially the director of Hooda’s film, received well-deserved criticism when he announced the project. But he left the project soon after, alleging falsification of history.

Hooda’s film claims Savarkar inspired Bhagat Singh; even thick-skinned Sanghis would have been embarrassed by this fiction.

Hooda also claimed that, had Savarkar had his way, India would have gained Independence three decades earlier and blamed Bapu for the delay. India got its freedom in 1947; three decades earlier would mean 1917. Bapu had just launched his first agitation in India, the Champaran Satyagraha, and Savarkar had already made several mercy petitions to the British. So, in 1917, Bapu had a negligible influence on our freedom movement and Savarkar had already embarked on becoming the British’s loyal servant. He would not have worked for freedom.

To a motivated falsifier of facts, however, such details don’t matter. Hooda has loyally completed a task assigned to him – add fuel to the inferno of hate and aim vitriol at Bapu. He will be handsomely rewarded for his service.

The silver lining on the silver screen

There is hope. I end by talking about two films, one a documentary made by a Canadian-India director and my friend Anand Ramayya – ‘Who Killed Gandhi?’ (2013). It is a balanced documentary that throws light on the Gandhi murder conspiracy through the lives of the three main characters: Bapu, Savarkar and Godse. Unfortunately, because of the regime change in 2014, the documentary hasn’t found a theatrical or OTT release in India. It has, however, had several screenings abroad and won awards too.

The other film I admire is ‘Ae Watan Mere Watan’, directed by Kannan Iyer and written by him and Darab Farooqui. This is how historical films should be made – not by incorporating fiction, twisting facts or adding melodrama but by telling the story simply and honestly. There may be creative and technical criticism but no one can fault the honesty of the filmmakers. Personally, I would have loved more drama to bring out the heroism of common Indians who made great sacrifices during the Quit India Movement but I doff my hat to the writer and director for not deviating from the facts.

I admired the cast as well; Sara Ali Khan portrayed admirably someone she had never seen. It is easy to portray a fictitious character but intimidating to portray someone whom many in the present have interacted with and you haven’t. For me, Khan brought Ushaben Mehta – Gandhian and freedom fighter – alive on screen. Emraan Hashmi portrayed Ram Manohar Lohia convincingly, putting aside his stardom to get into the character of an icon. This, too, isn’t easy.

The other actors too did justice to the characters they portrayed; no one played to the gallery. That was left to the story, a tale of valour told honestly.

This is the difference between propaganda and history, the former is devoid of truth, the later needs no embellishment. I wish we had an audience that was enlightened enough to know the difference.

 Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, is an activist, author and president of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation. Reach him at gandhitushar.a@gmail.com

Courtesy: https://www.allindiansmatter.in

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Caste, the cancer afflicting Sanatan Dharma https://sabrangindia.in/caste-the-cancer-afflicting-sanatan-dharma/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 05:21:22 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=29898 “I consider the four divisions alone to be fundamental, natural and essential. The innumerable sub-castes are sometimes a convenience, often a hindrance. The sooner there is fusion, the better.” MK Gandhi, Young India. December 8, 1920 “Untouchability is a snake with a thousand mouths, through each of which it shows its poisonous fangs.” MK Gandhi, […]

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“I consider the four divisions alone to be fundamental, natural and essential. The innumerable sub-castes are sometimes a convenience, often a hindrance. The sooner there is fusion, the better.”

MK Gandhi, Young India. December 8, 1920

“Untouchability is a snake with a thousand mouths, through each of which it shows its poisonous fangs.”

MK Gandhi, Young India. July 11, 1927

“I do not believe in caste in the modern sense. It is an excrescence and a hindrance on progress. Caste in so far as it connotes distinctions in status is evil.”

MK Gandhi, Young India. June 4,1931

“Untouchability is a sin against God and man. There is no warrant in the Shastras for untouchability as we practice it today.”

MK Gandhi, Harijan. March 2, 1934

“And why do I say untouchability is a curse, a blot and a powerful poison that will destroy Hinduism? It is repugnant to our senses of humanity to consider a single human being as untouchable by birth. If you were to study the scriptures of world you do not find any parallel to untouchability.”

MK Gandhi, Harijan. June 2, 1936

“Untouchability is a blot against Hinduism and it must be removed at any cost. Untouchability is a poison which, if we do not get rid of it in time, will destroy Hinduism.”

MK Gandhi, Harijan. June 20, 1936

“Caste has nothing to do with religion. It is a custom whose origin I do not know, and do not need to know. But I do know it is harmful, both to spiritual and national growth.”

MK Gandhi, Harijan. July 18, 1936

“Soil erosion eats up good soil. It is bad enough. Caste erosion is worse; it eats up men and divides men from men.”

MK Gandhi, Harijan. May 5, 1946

“None can be born untouchable, as all are sparks of the same fire. It is wrong to treat certain human beings as untouchable from birth.”

MK Gandhi, From Yeravada Mandir, Page 31

“The untouchables have been so much oppressed by the Caste Hindus that we can find no parallel to it in any other religion.”

MK Gandhi, Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Page 905

“I am a touchable by birth, but I am an untouchable by choice; and I have endeavoured in my own fashion to represent not the upper ten even amongst the untouchables, because, be it said to ourselves there are caste and classes even amongst the untouchables.”

MK Gandhi, Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Page 952

“There was once a scientific expedition in search of God. The scientists are reported to have come to India and to have found God, not in the homes of Brahmins, nor in the palaces of kings, but they found Him in the hut of an untouchable. Hence my cry to God is to admit me to the untouchable fold.”

MK Gandhi, The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi, Vol LI, Page 198

“There is an ineffaceable blot that Hinduism today carries with it. I have declined to believe that it has been handed to us from immemorial times. I think this miserable, wretched, enslaving spirit of untouchability must have come to us when we were in the cycle of our lives at our lowest ebb… That any person should be considered untouchable in this sacred land, passes one’s comprehension.”

MK Gandhi, Speeches and Writings of Mahatma Gandhi, Page 387

“I believe that if untouchability is really rooted out, it will not only purge Hinduism of a terrible blot, but its repercussions will be worldwide. My fight against untouchability is a fight against the impure in humanity!”

MK Gandhi, Mahatma, Vol III, Page 203

“What I want, what I am living for and what I should delight in dying for is the eradication of untouchability, root and branch.”

MK Gandhi, Mahatma, Vol III, Page 205

“Removal of untouchability means love for and service of the whole world, and thus merges into Ahimsa. Removal of untouchability spells the breaking down of barriers between man and man, and between the various orders of Beings.”

MK Gandhi, From Yeravada Mandir, Page 33

“It is a sin to believe that anyone else is inferior or superior to ourselves. We are all equal. It is the touch of sin that pollutes us, and never that of a human being. None are high and none are low for one who would devote his life to service. The distinction between high and low is a blot on Hinduism, which we must obliterate.”

MK Gandhi, The Diary of Mahadev Desai, Page 286


 

Why did I begin with a string of quotes by Bapu? When we read them chronologically, we understand his evolution. From the first, where he endorses the Varna Vyavastha, our caste system, for which he was rightly criticised by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, to branding untouchability and the caste system as a thousand-headed venomous snake and to warning that the Varna Vyavastha would eventually lead to the annihilation of Hinduism, Sanatan Dharma. This is a dramatic about-turn in Bapu’s evolution. Bapu had said that if he were to express contradictory opinions on any subject, what he said last was to be considered his belief because time and life would have taught him that he was wrong earlier.

There have been many reformers who strove throughout their lives to purge Sanatan Dharma of the evil of untouchability but they all failed – from Sant Gnyaneshwar and Sant Tukaram to Ambedkar and Bapu. Sanatan Dharma has proven to be obstinate.

Periyar, the militant reformer, also failed. Tamil Nadu, where parties born out of his ideology have ruled for long, is still as deeply divided along caste lines and caste-based oppression is rampant. Sanatan Dharma and its traditions are so wired into the collective psyche that even those who left Hinduism, fed up of the caste oppression, still carry their caste identities into the religions they embrace.

People will argue that all Hindus must not be branded casteists, and it’s true that not all of them actively practise caste oppression. But we too remain silent when atrocities occur. The silence and inaction stems from the deep-rooted prejudice they harbour. Take a few incidents in the recent past.

Inder Meghwal, a nine-year-old Dalit, was so brutally thrashed by his upper caste teacher that he died. His crime? He drank water from the pot kept exclusively for the teacher. Did Indians who don’t harbour or practise caste prejudice rise up in anger? No!

A video of a lout peeing on the face of an Adivasi went viral on social media. The Adivasi was so accustomed to being insulted thus that he did not even attempt to move away. The lout was a Brahmin and the president of his community brazenly said it was his right to behave that way. Did Indians who do not harbour caste prejudice rise in anger? No!

A Harijan bridegroom rode a horse to his wedding. This offended the upper castes in his village and he was lynched. Did we react? No!

Recently, a Dalit was brutally beaten for wearing good clothes and dark glasses. Does it make our blood boil? No!

As far as caste discrimination and atrocities are concerned, it does not bother us enough. I could write volumes listing caste atrocities over just the past decade.

But when Udhayanidhi Stalin points out how Sanatan Dharma has been corrupted, all of us are annoyed. How dare he call for its eradication? Ambedkar called for the ‘Annihilation of Caste’. Bapu too, in his own gentle manner, called for it. None of them called for a genocide of Hindus or the upper castes. Let’s not allow sanghis and bhakts fool us into believing it.

All reformers warned about the danger institutionalised oppression poses to the existence of Sanatan Dharma but we have not heeded the warnings. What is being sought to be eradicated is Varna Vyavastha and the prejudices it instils in all of us and the oppression which is its very creed. That cancer afflicting Sanatan Dharma must be eradicated. Otherwise, one day, it will ensure the demise of Sanatan Dharma itself.

Vasudaiva Kutumbakam must be based on samata, equality, otherwise it is just a string of meaningless words.

 Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of the Mahatma, is an activist, author and president of the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation. Reach him here: gandhitushar.a@gmail.com.

Courtesy: https://www.allindiansmatter.in

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Tushar Gandhi lodges police complaint against Sambhaji Bhide over insults to Mahatma Gandhi https://sabrangindia.in/tushar-gandhi-lodges-police-complaint-against-sambhaji-bhide-over-insults-to-mahatma-gandhi/ Thu, 10 Aug 2023 11:19:24 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=29098 I will not take any slander against my ancestors said the great grandson of Gandhi after lodging the complaint; Gandhi was accompanied by senior activists

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Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, along with activists from Pune on

Thursday approached the Deccan Gymkhana police station seeking the registration of a criminal defamation case against right-wing activist, Manohar Kholkarni, self-named Sambhaji Bhide for his allegedly derogatory comments about Mahatma Gandhi’s lineage.

Kholkarni alias Bhide, who is the founder and head of the Sangli-based organisation Shri Shivpratishthan Hindustan, allegedly made objectionable remarks about Mahatma Gandhi in a speech delivered in Maharashtra’s Amravati district in the last week of July. An FIR was registered against Bhide in Amravati on July 29 based on a complaint filed by a group of social activists.

In a tweet on Thursday morning, Tushar Gandhi said he was on his way to Pune to file a criminal defamation complaint against Bhide at the Deccan Gymkhana police station. “Will not take slander against my ancestors without seeking legal redress,” the tweet said.

Speaking to various media outlets outside the police station after the complaint was submitted, Tushar Gandhi said, “My great-great-grandmother and my family are public figures. But we are a private family. This is like coming into my house and insulting my mother and that will not be tolerated. After this issue was raised in the Assembly, the deputy chief minister made a statement and assured that steps would be taken to punish the culprits. But it seems as if something is keeping his hands tied.”

Gandhi sought registration of a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation), 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief). Tushar Gandhi said that he was associated with the Maharashtra Gandhi Smarak Nidhi and was informed in detail about Bhide’s remarks by the trust. “We decided to file a complaint and use avenues open to a citizen,” he added.

Pune-based human rights activist and lawyer Asim Sarode said, “Tushar Gandhi along with activists from Pune, including Vishwambhar Chaudhari, Dr Kumar Saptarshi, Anwar Rajan and Sanket Munot, today approached the Deccan Gymkhana police station seeking registration of a criminal defamation case against Bhide for the extremely derogatory comments he made about Mahatma Gandhi. A case has been filed earlier regarding these comments. But here, we are seeking criminal defamation provisions which have not been invoked in earlier cases.”

When contacted, Senior Inspector Vipin Hasabnis, in charge of the Deccan Gymkhana police station, confirmed that Tushar Gandhi and others had lodged the complaint. “We will be seeking legal opinion in this regard from the law officer and based on that further course of action will be decided,” he said.

In addition to the criminal case registered in Amravati, two more cases have been registered against Bhide in the recent past—one in Navi Mumbai for his alleged remarks about Gautam Buddha and other social reformers and the other in Nashik for his comments about Mahatma Jyotiba Phule.

On August 7, the Navi Mumbai police registered an FIR against Hindutva leader Sambhaji Bhide following a complaint for his alleged derogatory comments against Gautam Buddha and social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Periyar Naicker.

Related:

Bhima Koregaon case: Shambhaji Bhide’s name dropped!

HC directs police to file report on Sambhaji Bhide’s role in violence: Bhima-Koregaon Case

Sambhaji Bhide was recommended for Padma Sri by Maharashtra Government!

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Mumbai: Unprecedented Draconian Crackdown on activists, on “9th August Quit India Day!” https://sabrangindia.in/mumbai-unprecedented-draconian-crackdown-on-activists-on-9th-august-quit-india-day/ Wed, 09 Aug 2023 04:59:22 +0000 https://sabrangindia.in/?p=29065 Freedom Fighter Dr. G G Parikh prevented from reaching the August Kranti Maidan, Tushar Gandhi, taken to Santacruz police station, Teesta Setalvad was stopped from leaving her residence!

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Update:

After 11 a.m. Tushar Gandhi, great grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and Teesta Setalvad, activist, author and journalist visited August Kranti Maidan and offered their tributes. By this time the state government function at the venue was over, Both Tushar Gandhi and Teesta Setalvad spoke of the historic occasion, August 9, 2023 (81st anniversary of Quit India Day and Gandhi’s speech made on that day. The Mumbai police followed both activists to the venue.

On August 9. 1942, the call for the “Quit India Movement” was given, with the mantra of “do or die. Yusuf Meherally, a communist and labor unionist who also served as Mayor of Mumbai, coined the famous slogan and Aruna Asaf Ali unfurled the tricolour at August Kranti Maidan. Gandhi’s other slogan: “Do or Die”. We shall either free India or die in the attempt; we shall not live to see the perpetuation of our slavery”. The call mobilised the citizens to a huge Civil Disobedience movement as the British refused to grant independence till the World War II (1939 to 1945) was over.

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“Quit India ke Din pe, Gandhiji ka Par-Pota Jail mai!!”

Today, on the 81st Anniversary of the historic QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT led by Mahatma Gandhi, we have witnessed a draconian crackdown by the BJP-led regime in Maharashtra. Our veteran Freedom Fighters have been commemorating this epic day of our freedom struggle ever since 1943 itself. Dr. G. G. Parikh who was a young student when he participated in the Quit India Movement in 1942, and who continues to lead this march even at the age of 99, is utterly distraught at this bizarre turn of events.

It’s actually for the first time that the BJP-led government is attempting to commemorate this day, a day that their ideological predecessors had opposed, even as the RSS & Hindu Mahasabha connived with the British Empire. The advertisement issued by the BJP-led government does not even mention the QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT. It’s once again clear that the BJP-RSS are trying their best, or rather their worst, to co-opt and distort our freedom struggle.

Currently, around 50 activists are being detained at the D. B. Marg Police station, and will be let off only after the official programme is over.

More worryingly, early in the morning itself, the police went to the residences of Tushar Gandhi & Teesta Setalvad, and they were clearly told that they would not be allowed to go to the August Kranti Maidan. Later, Tushar Gandhi was taken to the Santacruz Police station, whilst Teesta Setalvad was asked to stay indoors.

Every year, we, as the People’s Movement, commemorate the “Quit India Movement” by marching from the Tilak Statue at Girgaum Chowpatty to the August Kranti Maidan. But this year, we have been prevented by this communal fascist regime.

This unprecedented crackdown on this historic day of our independence movement has only strengthened our resolve to continue to resist this attack on our democratic and constitutional rights. On this day, we thus take an oath to live by the traditions of our freedom struggle and continue to defend our country and our people.

Madhu Mohite, Feroze Mithiborwala, Guddi S. L.  Prabhakar Narkar, Vishwas Uthagi & Poonam Kanojiya.

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Urging preventive action against hate offenders, Gandhiji’s grandson, Tushar urges Navi Mumbai police to act https://sabrangindia.in/urging-preventive-action-against-hate-offenders-gandhijis-grandson-tushar-urges-navi-mumbai/ Sat, 25 Feb 2023 05:04:02 +0000 http://localhost/sabrangv4/2023/02/25/urging-preventive-action-against-hate-offenders-gandhijis-grandson-tushar-urges-navi-mumbai/ The Mahatma Gandhi Foundation has urged preventive action from the Navi Mumbai Police that has now stated it will vido-graph the event

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Tushar Gandhi

On February 22, the Mahatma Gandhi Foundation sent a letter to the Navi Mumbai Police, urging them to take preventive action against the proposed Hindu Jan Akrosh Morcha, which is proposed to be held on February 26 in Navi Mumbai by the Sakal Hindu Samaj, or face contempt of the Supreme Court. In a letter to the Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe, MGF President, Tushar A. Gandhi – the great grandson of the Mahatma – stressed on the rising incidents of hate speeches and rallies being organised in Mumbai, in other cities and towns in Maharashtra, with police “not showing any concern”. Gandhi is also a petitioner against hate offenders in the Supreme Court.

In the letter, Gandhi had written that these rallies have the potential to disrupt social harmony.

The Sakal Hindu Samaj, an apex organisation of Hindu-nationalist organizations, had scheduled a Hindu Jan Akrosh rally to protest against “cow slaughter, ‘love jihad,’ and religious conversions” for February 26 in Vashi. The said even will now be videographed as per the Supreme Court directives.

“Due to this apathy on the part of the law enforcement agencies, concerned citizens are compelled to move the courts to ensure implementation of several orders passed by the highest courts of the land,” Tushar Gandhi told the media.

Videography for preventive measures

The decision for video-shooting was announced by Navi Mumbai Commissioner of Police Milind Bharambe after MGF president Tushar Gandhi sought preventive measures for the rally.

Meanwhile, Shashikant Yadav, a representative of Vishwa Hindu Parishad from Navi Mumbai said, “Under the umbrella of Sakal Hindu Samaj, all Hindu organisations will assemble at Blue Diamond Chowk in Kopri Vashi around 3pm on February 26, and will march towards Shivaji Chowk in Sector 17,” as was reported by the Free Press Journal. 

Yadav stated that reports of ‘love jihad’ and religious conversions from across the country cannot be viewed in isolation.

Recently, the Supreme Court had directed the Maharashtra police to ensure that permission is granted to the organizers, the Sakal Hindu Samaj, only if there is no hate speech. It also directed that the event be videotaped and that the videos be made available to the court on the next date.

CJP’s efforts to curb hate- memos seeking preventive actions by the police and elected members

On February 7, Citizens for Justice Peace (CJP) had raised some concerns about the proposed event being organized by Sakal Hindu Samaj on February 9 in Baramati, Maharashtra, and had sent a preemptive memorandum to the authorities of Baramati. Through the memorandum, CJP had brought to the notice of DGP, Mahasrashtra as well as SP of Rural Pune and Deputy SP of Baramati, that an event was going to be held in Baramati where hate offenders Kalicharan Maharaj and Shankar Gaikar have been invited to speak. Despite the above-mentioned preemptive complaints to the state, district, and local police chiefs, no preventive measures were taken to prevent the event from happening.

On February 20, had once again sent a preemptive memorandum to authorities regarding the proposed event being organized by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti on February 21 in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, and raised some concerns about it. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti is the same organisation that has been giving a platform to hate speech offenders to make hate speech by organising events demanding the establishment of a Hindu nation, boycott of Halal meat, ‘love jihad’, religious conversion and cow slaughter. Through the said memorandum, CJP had brought to the notice of District Collector, Ratnagiri as well as Superintendent of Police (SP), Ratnagiri that a Hindu Rashtra Jagruti Sabha event is going to be held in Dapoli, Ratnagiri wherein hate speeches will be delivered, and calls for establishing a Hindu nation will be made, presumable bytargeting and hurting religious sentiments of minorities.

Despite the pre-emptive notice to the police, as well as to MP Shri Vinayak Bhaurao Raut, Shiv Sena, the event took place and hate speeches were given. The event was broadcasted live on Facebook on the same day.

The Letter may be read here:

 

Related:

Citizens’ attempts to prevent hate speech event ignored, Hate Event allowed by Ratnagiri Police

Citizens’ attempts to prevent hate speech event ignored, Hate Event allowed by Ratnagiri Police | SabrangIndia

Maharashtra: The new breeding ground for hate, oaths of allegiance to the Constitution brutally violated

CJP COMPLAINT TO DGP, MAHARASHTRA AND NCM AGAINST MISLEADING AND ISLAMOPHOBIC SPEECH BY KALICHARAN

Hate Speech: Kalicharan spews hate against Muslims in protest for “Love-Jihad” law, Maharashtra

CJP’S CRIMINAL COMPLAINT AGAINST SHANKAR GAIKAR’S HATE SPEECH AT SHAURYA SANCHALAN

MAHARASHTRA: SHANKAR GAIKAR GIVES ANTI-MUSLIM SPEECH AT SHAURYA PATH SANCHALAN EVENT

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